Apsidal Motion in Massive Binaries: CPD-41° 7742, an Extreme Case?

AbstractWe study the apsidal motion in close eccentric massive binaries. Measuring the rate of apsidal motion in such a system gives insight into the internal structure and evolutionary state of the stars. We focus on CPD-41° 7742, for which independent studies in the past showed large discrepancies in the longitude of periastron of the orbit, hinting at the presence of apsidal motion. We perform a consistent analysis of all observational data to solve this apparent discrepancy and report the first determination of apsidal motion in this system. This study confirms the need for enhanced mixing in the stellar evolution models of the primary star to reproduce the observational properties. This points towards larger convective cores than usually considered.